This second and final volume of Derek Beales's magisterial biography of the emperor Joseph Ii describes the period when he was sole ruler of the Austrian monarchy. Influenced partly by Enlightenment ideals, Joseph relaxed censorship, introduced wide-ranging religious toleration and fostered a 'new Catholicism' whilst Mozart's music, the greatest cultural achievement of his reign, owed much to Joseph's patronage. He also abolished personal serfdom and diminished the nobles' power, seeking to achieve full personal control over all his provinces. Opposition became serious when his hyperactive foreign policy landed him in war against the Turks, and he died with his Belgian provinces in rebel hands and Hungary threatened by revolt and invasion. Though these pressures forced Joseph to withdraw some of his measures, Derek Beales argues that he left an indelible mark on the history of all his lands, which now form part of fifteen modern states. "...splendid second volume of his biography of Joseph II.... This book should restore Joseph II to his rightful position, holding a central place in the history of Austria, the Habsburg monarchy, Germany and central Europe." - Steven Beller, Times Literary Supplement "This is a masterful biography, based on research in multiple European archives, published primary sources, and just about every extant secondary source related to Joseph. Highly recommended." -Choice "Beales has completed his awesome project on Joseph with another monumental volume, this time on the final decade, the ten years - actually just over nine - of his sole rule in Austria. And what a rule!." -The New York Review of Books "a magisterial study of the Austrian monarchy and continental Europe in the second half of the eighteenth century." -Francia-Recensio "...Beale's biography will be an essential reference point for all future contribution." -Bettina Dietz, Austrian History Yearbook This book is the second and final volume of Derek Beales's magisterial biography of the emperor Joseph II. Derek Beales is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Cambridge, and Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge. His previous publications include Joseph II. Volume I: In the Shadow of Maria Theresa, 1741–80 (Cambridge University Press, 1987), Prosperity and Plunder: European Catholic Monasteries in the Age of Revolution, 1650–1810 (Cambridge University Press, 2003) and Enlightenment and Reform in Eighteenth-Century Europe (2005).